Forever
by dougelo7
Summary: Bella is the one with supernatural abilities, and Edward is rejected at first! :D
1. Chapter 1

_(Bella's Point of View)_

It wasn't a very good day. I had forgotten to turn in my daily essay to Mr. Taylor and I kept falling asleep in Mr. Lufkin's class, which prompted an embarrassing, but mandatory, trip to the nurse's office. Furthermore, my sullen behavior as of late has been thoroughly repelling the only friends I have, making me feel like I was infected with some sort of contagious disease.

These were the thoughts on my mind as I alternated between stomping and stumbling down the stairwell adjacent to the elevator shaft, iPod headphones in my ears. I was so caught up in my personal struggles that I failed to notice Mrs. Kennedy standing in the entrance to the stairwell. Her eyes darted up to the headphones in my head and her mouth contorted into a frown.

"Bella, you know electronics aren't allowed in the building. You've been given warnings in the past; now I'm going to have to take your iPod away." I silently walked over to her and deposited my beloved music player in her waiting palm. "You can come and get it at the end of the day," she consoled.

As I trod out toward the Kinnick courtyard I saw several people notice my unusual lack of headphones. To my horror, they started toward me. Why didn't they understand that I wanted to be left alone?

"Bella! Hey, BELLA!!!" they called. They kept walking faster and faster, futilely attempting to get me to respond. What they did not know, however, was that I was terrified.

You see, I'm actually an introvert. I was shocked and annoyed, upon my arrival here at Kinnick, that everybody tried to talk to me. I'm told that I have excellent good looks, but hearing it repeated by the opposite gender only further alienates me.

Now that I'm getting practically chased after by half a dozen people, I broke into a frightened run. I dashed past the main office, whereupon Mrs. Toomer, who was exiting through the doorway, shouted after me to stop running on school grounds. I ignored her, of course, and angled toward Main Street. Its bathroom stalls should provide a safe haven. I looked back to see how close my pursuers were, and to my horror, they were only a few yards away from me. I sprinted as fast as I could toward the food court while shouting at them to stop chasing me. As I flew over the crosswalk, I heard the squealing of tires and then everything went black.


	2. Chapter 2

_(Edward's Point of View)_

Today started like any other day with a shower and a small breakfast, with the exception of the arrival of new students in my classes. As I left first period for Mr. Taylor's room I saw some of them, including an unfamiliar girl who was very obviously uncomfortable in crowds. I stifled a snicker as she shied away from anyone who attempted conversation with her.

After we finished discussing our stories in Literature class I met with Jasper in the hallway. We agreed that Subway appealed to us today, so we set out to get our lunch. As we walked along underneath the lengthy covered sidewalk that lead to the entrance of the food court I noticed the shy girl running away from several laughing and shouting pursuers. She threw her head back to shout at them to leave her alone as she continued barreling toward the Main Street food court. I watched with horror as a driver, a woman whose backseat toddler was diverting her attention, unknowingly hurdled along an intercept course with the girl.

Once I realized just how dire the situation was, I broke out into the fastest sprint I've ever ran in my life. As I rounded the shrub-bordered corner onto the crosswalk I slammed into the girl, knocking her out of the way of the oncoming vehicle.

A dull crunch and two thumping noises, accompanied by indescribable agony, alerted me to the fact that I hadn't sprung far enough to completely avoid the car's tires. Its two left wheels rolled over my exposed right leg, breaking the bone and mangling the flesh. As I roared with pain, I saw Jasper running toward me shouting, "Edward! EDWARD!!! Oh, shit, EDWARD!!! Somebody get help - his leg is broken!"

I felt somebody pull me up and position my arms around their and another person's shoulders, and then I faded into unconsciousness.

_(Bella's Point of View)_

I awoke on a lumpy hospital bed to discover that bandages had been wrapped around various parts of my body. As I attempted to right myself I felt a stab of pain in my abdomen - broken ribs. Oh great.

A doctor noticed my return to consciousness and hurried over to check on me. "You were about to be hit by a car, but you were thrown out of the way. Your rough landing broke a few of your ribs and skinned your elbow, and the blow to your head nearly gave you a concussion. It's lucky you only passed out."

I gave a moan at the aches I felt all over the place. "You have a quite nasty set of bruises, as well," the doctor said with an apologetic smile. "When can I go home?" I inquired. "You'll be free tomorrow. For now, you need to recuperate."

"Who saved me?" I rasped. The doctor replied, "Oh, yeah, that was Edward Cullen. Unfortunately, he didn't jump far enough to keep himself clear of the road, so his leg was run over. It's pretty badly broken; he'll have to stay for at least a week before he can go home and even then he'll have to wear a cast for awhile."

"Oh no..." I groaned. "I hope he's okay. Can I see him, you know, to say 'thank you' for saving my life?"

"That won't be possible for a few days. We have him sedated right now - he's simply too badly injured to talk just yet."

"Okay..." I conceded.

With mixed feelings of awe, gratitude, sympathy, and embarrassment, I drifted back to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 - Thinking  
**

_(Edward's Point of View)_

I opened my eyes to see a generic white ceiling. Noticing that I had just awoken from unconsciousness I tested my limbs. I discovered that my right leg was

suspended in midair, wrapped in a cast. I had an IV in my arm and there were bandages everywhere

on my body - they were probably healing back all the skin I'd lost following my lunge

across the rough pavement.

How long ago had that happened? It was quite disconcerting to not know how much time had

passed and to not have any memories of my arrival at this hospital.

As I began remembering more and more details, a sudden shock of worry shot through me. Was

the girl okay? Had my tackle injured her? What would she think of me now? When could I go

back to school? Once I did, would people treat me differently?

A nurse noticed my stirrings and hurried over. "Oh, thank goodness you're awake. How do your

injuries feel?"

"I'm fine. When can I go home?"

She gave a wry smile. "Bella, the girl you saved, said the same exact thing when she woke up."

"What? She's here? Can I talk to her?"

"Of course. She's been waiting for you to wake up, in fact. I'll call her in."

The nurse hurried away, back out of my door. While I waited for her to return I pondered what I

would say to Bella. Maybe I would ask her what classes she was taking, whether she still lived in

the Navy Lodge or not... wait, what am I thinking??? I just saved her life. Of course she won't

want to talk about trivial things like that, so why am I wasting my time thinking about them?

Just as this epiphany was making itself known, Bella strode into my room. Her abdomen was

wrapped in bandages - broken ribs, I assumed - and, despite her numerous scratches and cuts,

she looked in good shape. She gave me a warm smile and sat down in a chair next to my bed.

"So..." she began.

"So," I replied.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before she spoke again.

"Look, thanks for saving my life. I'm really grateful and it was a very nice thing for you to do."

I flushed slightly and muttered, "You're welcome."

After a brief pause Bella said, "I'll make sure to visit you here every day until you get better. It's

my fault you're in here."

My face reddened further as I quickly replied, "You don't have to do that. I don't want to inconvenience

you."

With a wry smile, Bella stated, "Edward, you SAVED my LIFE. NOTHING that helps you is an

inconvenience to me. Nothing at ALL."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 - Sympathy**

_(Bella's Point of View)_

The majority of my time at the hospital was spent with Edward. I was determined to keep him company as he recuperated from the injuries that would not have happened if not for me. This, however, proved more challenging than I had expected – I had to fake aching in my ribs to get the nurses to allow me to stay in the hospital longer. The thought of the gossip they might be spreading made my cheeks flush as I waited for Edward to wake up.

I decided to use this time to ponder what I would ask Edward today. Earlier in the week we had discussed his JROTC experiences, the cars he'd worked on, what he did for fun, et cetera. I tried to keep him focused on what made him happy so he wouldn't think about the throbbing ache of his wounds. I suspected that the morphine in his IV fluid didn't completely alleviate his suffering, but of course he would never admit it.

However, he'd also told me, after extensive coaxing and a number of vows never to share the story with a living soul, that he had once secretly dated none other than Lauren Mallory. According to him, he dumped her because she would not stop coming onto him in public.

At that point I had been exerting every single ounce of my already constricted self control to not fall out of my chair laughing (which would most certainly send jagged stabs of white-hot agony through my already feeble body). The mental image of an embarrassed Edward shrinking away from a crazed Lauren was just way too funny.

As I decided that I would let Edward begin the discussion today, he shifted slightly amongst his bedcovers and his eyelids scrunched together. He stuck his arms in the air and gave a humongous yawn before finally rolling over to look at me quizzically.

"So, what do you want to talk about today?"

"Whatever you want. I'm out of ideas," I laughed.

"Well, actually, I was wondering why you were running from those people," he said cautiously.

"Oh… that. Uh… well… Edward, I… usually don't like being around people. It's just… being in crowds and getting put on display really scares me," I said shakily.

He paused for a moment, a combination of bemusement and sympathy apparent in his expression; then, "Bella, you're probably going to get a lot of unwanted attention at Kinnick once you go back. If you'd like, I could stay with you as much as possible to fend them off," he suggested.

The kindness and compassion in his voice made my mouth drop open in amazement. I quickly rearranged my features and replied huskily, "I'd really appreciate that. Thank you so much, Edward. I don't know what I've done to deserve you."

He flushed and sheepishly replied, "I just want to help you."

We both stared at our hands for a moment before he broke the silence.

"Well, school starts in thirty minutes. We'd better get ready to go."

I nodded and, still embarrassed, trudged out the door and back to my room to collect my belongings.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 - Anger**

_(Edward's Point of View)_

As Bella and I walked by McDonald's toward Kinnick we compared schedules. It turned out that we did not have any classes together whatsoever, but all of our classes *were* close together; the ease of our prospective arrangement and the fact that I would get to spend a lot of time together with Bella put a spring in my step.

We walked in silence, but whether it was from fatigue or a lack of more to say was unclear and I dared not disturb the calm to inquire as to the nature of Bella's quiet. I glanced over at her to see that she was pinching the top of her nose between her fingers, her eyes closed and her posture slumped. She was afraid of facing those people!

I suddenly felt a flare of rage flare up in me. How dare they make my Bella afraid, how dare they cause her to worry. If anything, THEY should be the frightened ones. Those warped, pathetic excuses for human beings were more lucky than they realized that I had been in too much of a hurry to save Bella to notice who was chasing her that fateful day.

I made a mental note to eavesdrop on my classmates' conversations as much as possible to discover the identities of the contemptible people who had nearly gotten her killed. They deserved to be brought to justice; to experience at least some small part of the trauma they had caused my Bella to go through.

I noticed that I was stomping and huffing with fury and quickly reigned in my body language. I didn't want to make Bella worry more. She had already been through so much; she didn't deserve the anguish my vengence would certainly cause her.

I would confront the monsters after school, in a quiet place, I decided. They would pay for upsetting Bella. I would give them scars to remind them to never go near Bella again.

Bella must have noticed more than I'd wanted her to because she shakily said, "Edward, what's wrong?"

"It's nothing," I dismissed.

"Come on, you can tell me."

"I don't want you to worry."

"I'll worry more if I don't know what's going through your mind that's got you so angry. TELL ME."

I paused for a moment, then looked away and quietly replied, "I'm considering the best ways to deal with the people who almost got you killed."

I heard a sharp intake of breath before a blow to my side threw me off balance.

"You will NOT beat them up! It's not their fault I'm a pathetic, anti-social jerk - don't blame them for the accident!"

I was annoyed now. Did she really think so little of herself, after all the care I'd shown her? Why, did she think, had I chosen to take care of her instead of just remaining acquaintances? What right did she have to dismiss her worth was as a person? I could see what made her wonderful, why couldn't she?

"You ARE NOT a pathetic, anti-social jerk. I can't believe you'd even say that. What makes you think..." I sputtered furiously.

"Edward, you don't have to lie. I know that none of this would have happened if I'd just talked to the people."

"STOP BLAMING YOURSELF! Seriously, Bella, why do you keep bringing it up? I don't regret saving you, even though I got hurt; why do you keep saying everything is your fault? Do you wish we had never met, then? You KNOW we would have never gotten to know each other if that accident hadn't happened."

She was momentarily speechless.

"I... you... but..." she trailed off.

I realized we had both stopped walking, which was weird because we'd done so several minutes ago. I vaguely wondered what the accident had done to my cognitive abilities before Bella spoke again.

"Fine. I'll stop talking about it. But, just so you know, I'm VERY glad we met, Edward. Over the last week you've become my best friend and I love spending time with you. I just wish we could have met under different circumstances is all."

The affection and adoration in her voice melted all my anger away like waves smoothing out the jagged sand on a beach. As she held her arms out to hug me I enthusiastically wrapped mine around her, trying to convey through the embrace all the newfound love I felt for her. We cradled each other for a few moments before she broke away and said, "We seriously have to get to class. It starts in two minutes and you know how mad Mr. Taylor gets when people are late."

I was shocked back into reality as I thought of how embarrassed my Bella would be if she had to walk into class late. This was quite simply an unacceptable outcome, so I reached over and brought her into my arms once more, running toward Kinnick. She shrieked with amused surprise and laughed, gripping me tighter as we flew across the sidewalk toward Kinnick High School.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 - Jacob**

_(Edward's Point of View)_

After I hugged Bella goodbye I went into Mr. Lufkin's classroom. Everyone stared at me as I took my seat in the back. I ignored them and paid close attention as class began.

At lunch Bella brought her friends Angela Weber and Jessica Stanley to sit with Jasper and me. I sat quietly, pondering where our relationship would go as the rest of them talked animatedly about the upcoming football game. Bella was silent as well and as our eyes met, she gave a little smile before hiding behind her hair.

I was snapped out of my reverie as Jessica Stanley poked me and demanded, "You ARE going to the game, right? We need crowd support if we're going to win!"

"Yeah, sure. I'll come. When is it?"

"6:00 at Berkeley Field."

"Sure. Bella, are you coming too?" I inquired.

"I guess… if you're coming, Edward, I'll go," she smiled.

--

I met Bella at her house to walk her to the game. On the way we relayed to each other what little we knew about football and she even told me that Jessica wouldn't stop gushing over the quarterback, Jacob something. I thought she sounded excited to meet someone who had caught the attention of the head cheerleader, but when I looked at her she was rolling her eyes, which cheered me right back up.

We heard the game before we saw it. As I walked down a sidewalk adjacent to the Tokyo Bay and crossed through a playground I caught a sight of the excited crowd. The cheerleaders were warming up off in the distance.

"Whoa. This looks cool," I observed. Bella shrugged and then laughed as I grabbed her hand and lead her toward the place where Angela was sitting.

"Hi Bella! Hello Edward!" she chirped merrily. "I got us popcorn from my house!" She held the bag out to us, friendly as ever.

"Aw, you didn't have to do that!" Bella squealed.

"But I did. So eat some popcorn NOW because if you don't I'll cry," Angela teased.

"Oh okay fine. Here, I'll take a handful. Edward?"

I picked some up between my fingertips and popped it into my mouth. As I chewed we all looked around to see when the game would begin.

The bag was already almost empty when the team ran out and the crowd roared. I clapped appreciatively as the game began.

I didn't know much about football, but it was apparent even to a novice that our team was excellent. They darted around the field, skillfully evading the opposing players, tackling those who would not get out of their way.

Our team won with a score of 21-10 as Bella and Angela both jumped out of their seats to run down and congratulate our team. I followed them at a walk, taking care not to run into anybody in the frantic crowd. I spotted Bella congratulating Jessica on her squad's spectacular cheer routine and I trotted over to join her.

I stopped dead in my tracks as the quarterback walked up to Bella, introducing himself with a confident grin. She smiled back and tucked her hair behind her ears, talking to him shyly.

With ever-increasing jealousy I observed the exchange become more and more flirtatious. My face was burning as Bella turned toward me. Her excited smile fell off her face as she saw my expression.

"Edward, what's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing. I just saw Lauren is all," I lied.

She giggled and said something about what she would say to Lauren, given the chance. I wasn't paying attention because my attention was directed toward Jacob's retreating figure. Who did he think e was, flirting with my Bella? What made him think he deserved such a wonderful girl? After all, he might be the stereotypical type of quarterback who only uses girls for his own amusement. If he was, what would happen to Bella?

My protective instincts morphed into an all-consuming hatred of the boy who might hurt my Bella. I couldn't allow him the chance. I decided I would do all I could to keep him away from Bella, to keep her safe. I decided I didn't care whose feelings got hurt in the process, who hated me when it was all over. I decided I would ask Bella to be my girlfriend.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 - Argument**

_(Bella's Point of View)_

I blushed and bit my lip as I realized that I was surrounded by lots of people, any of whom might have seen my flirting with Jacob. Embarrassed, I said a quick goodbye to Angela and Jessica and then turned to tell Edward I wanted to go home.

What I saw made me do a double-take. Edward was glaring hatefully at something in the distance. The sheer hostility that was almost tangibly rolling off him shocked me. He was even angrier than he had been after he had mentioned that he wanted to avenge me by confronting those who he deemed responsible for the accident.

I shook his shoulder and cautiously asked, "Edward, what's wrong?"

He paused for a moment before turning to me and snarling, "WHY did you let that quarterback flirt with you?!" Another furious pause. "HAVEN'T you HEARD how they treat girls??" he spat.

Taken aback by the venom in his voice, I stuttered, "Y-yes, but he seemed nice. Besides, I haven't heard anybody speak negatively of Jacob at all, so I don't think he conforms to those stereotypes. Still, though, WHY are you being so prejudiced, Edward?"

"It doesn't matter if his ENTIRE RECORD is spotless. It just doesn't feel right, Bella. This guy is dangerous. I think you should avoid him."

I was angry now. "Since WHEN do you tell me what to do, Edward?"

"Since I saved your life."

This caught me off-guard. It was wrong of him to hit that far below the belt, but still, he *had* gone through what must have been more pain than I've ever experienced, and all just to save my life.

"I'm sorry," I muttered. "I forgot."

After a look of forgiving adoration briefly flashed across his face, he replied in a similar manner.

"It's just a suggestion. I mean, if you think he's worth it, I won't stop you, but I really hope you reconsider."

"Thank you," I smiled. After a bemused pause I added, "I promise I'll keep my guard up. If anything suspicious starts to happen I'll get away as fast as I can."

At this he let out a relieved sigh and swept me up into a crushing bear hug. After a moment of incredulous hesitation, I hugged back, then let go.

With that, we turned and walked home.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 - Rejection**

_(Edward's Point of View)_

In the days and weeks after our argument, Bella became more and more distanced from me. We still followed our routine of my walking her to every class and of eating lunch together, but she always seemed to be thinking about something else. Whenever I talked to her, all responses from Bella were short and minimal. I was worried that she didn't think I cared about her, because she seemed sad and wistful.

It was Sunday night when I decided the time and place I would ask Bella to be my girlfriend – at lunchtime I would ask her to stay behind as everybody else left, then once we were alone, I would pop the question.

"Yes!" I thought, "That's the best plan because she HATES it when people notice her. She'll be glad I didn't make a public spectacle of the thing."

The thought of being Bella's boyfriend put an eager smile on my face as I drifted off to sleep.

I caught up to Bella as she was walking out of Mr. Taylor's classroom. She smiled, which, I assumed, was due to my impatience to be with her. This pumped anticipation into my veins, since the probability of success when I asked Bella out seemed to be high.

She ate her lunch in silence, and I followed suit. Bella was probably trying not to look at me, since she would surely blush red if I returned her gaze. I understood why she was ignoring me – her body language would give her away to onlookers if we spoke. This further inflated my already swollen ego, and my heart was pounding against my chest as the other students in the food court began to file out of the doors.

I tapped my feet and squeezed my hands as I contemplated the coming conversation. Bella began to get up but I said, "Um, hey Bella, would you mind if I could talk to you alone?"

"Sure," she said, looking confused.

"Alright. Let's just wait until everyone else is gone."

She packed up her stuff and then sat there, looking between the stragglers, her bag, the door, and me. When only a few people were left, I decided I couldn't wait any more.

"Okay. Um," I began.

She waited for a minute before imploring, "What is it, Edward?"

I took a deep breath and began, "Bella, we've known each other for awhile now, and we're very good friends. I care about you, and I think you care about me. I worry about you, I feel grateful toward you, I enjoy spending time with you, and I appreciate you."

I paused for a moment to take in her expression. She looked nervous. Taking this as additional evidence to ask what I was about to ask, I continued.

"I love hearing your laugh, I love seeing your smile, and I love making you happy. But, Bella, the thing I love the most is YOU."

I paused again to look at her face. She looked shocked. I pressed on nonetheless.

"Isabella Swan, will you be my girlfriend?"

She sucked in a stunned breath, and then her eyes swept across the floor multiple times. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, struggling for words. I waited patiently, but hopefully as she took in what she'd just heard.

"Edward…" she started. However, her resolve seemed to have failed her again, so she spent another minute gathering herself.

"Edward, I'm so sorry, but I just don't think of you that way. You're more like a brother to me than a boyfriend. Don't take this the wrong way, but the answer is 'no'."

I felt my mouth drop open in shock. Bella _rejected_ me? WHAT??? How could this be? She showed ALL the signs of being in love with me!

We sat in silence for a moment before Bella picked up her bag and walked out the Main Street doors without so much as a backward glance. I was still sitting there, frozen to the spot by what I had just been told.

It felt like forever before I regained control of myself. I calmed myself by telling myself that she just wasn't ready - we had only met a few months ago, after all, and not in the best circumstances. I managed a smile as I realized that my admission would probably make Bella realize that she was, indeed, as attracted to me as I to her.

I looked at my watch and realized, with a jolt, that I was already ten minutes late for Piano class. With an enormous surge of willpower I dragged myself out of the food court and down the cold, lonely sidewalk toward whatever life I had left.c


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 - Flirting**

_(Bella's Point of View)_

I could not believe Edward asked me out. Even though it had already been a week since his request, I was still flabbergasted that he thought I was romantically interested in him. What had I done to give that impression? I thought he knew I loved him only like a brother.

I stomped and huffed up to History class, infuriated that guys just didn't get it. Several people stared as I snarled at somebody who wasn't there.

The entire morning was spent fuming over how nothing good lasted, ever. It was like I had my own personal poltergeist, making me think my life was actually good for once before snatching it away. My pessimism seemed to project a cloud of doom around me, because nobody sat next to me in either of my morning classes.

As I walked through the stairwell doorway to go to lunch, I rolled my eyes with ever increasing anger. It was raining heavily, but I didn't have an umbrella because it had been stolen earlier in the week. I put my hood up, trying in vain to dodge the raindrops pelting down onto my body. My clothes were getting soaked and I was starting to shiver with cold.

The pummeling of rain on my hoodie stopped unexpectedly. I hadn't walked under a ledge, and I still saw rain pouring down around me, so I looked behind me to see what could be obstructing the slushy downfall.

Walking along beside me, whose approach I had not seen because my hood had obstructed my peripheral vision, was somebody who I had not seen in months. Our first meeting had been embarrassing to say the least, and seeing him hold an umbrella over my head, grinning, brought back similar butterflies. Edward had called him dangerous, had warned me that I should avoid him.

I decided to ignore Edward. He had probably only told me to avoid this boy because he was jealous. After all, who wouldn't be jealous of Jacob Black?

_(Jacob's Point of View)_

I had been talking absentmindedly with Quil and Embry, two annoying freshmen who wouldn't leave me alone, when I saw Bella walk by. She looked ready to kill somebody, and I noticed she didn't have an umbrella. Feeling confident, I decided I would make my move.

Easily catching up to Bella, I held my wide umbrella aloft over her damp form. I laughed silently to myself as she continued to walk along, oblivious to my presence. I was still basking in amusement when she suddenly stopped and slowly turned around.

The look on her face went from one of annoyance to shock as she saw that it was I shielding her from nature's onslaught. She opened and closed her mouth twice before stuttering, "Hi, J-Jacob."

I grinned even wider, pleased that Bella remembered my name. "Hey, Bells!" I half-sang.

Looking at her feet, Bella muttered something that sounded like a pleasantry. "Whadidja say?" I inquired, confused.

She looked up shyly and said, "How have you been, Jake?"

I grinned again and said, "Pretty good. Football's been over for awhile now, so I've had some free time. You?"

"I'm okay," she dismissed.

After a brief pause I continued, "Aren't you walking to Main Street?"

"Yeah."

"Alright! I'll walk you there," I smiled.

"You don't have to. I have my hoodie," Bella squeaked, nervous. I found this very flattering. The discovery that I made Bella nervous elated me, since I've had a crush on her since the night I met her.

"I want to, Bella! Besides the fact that it's a polite thing to do, I also think you're pretty cool. I like spending time with you," I complimented.

Her face flushed crimson from my praises. My breathing accelerated as I noticed, again, just how beautiful Isabella Swan was.

"Alright," she said tersely.

We barely spoke as I walked along the sidewalk with Bella. I felt like today was my lucky day – how often do you just run into the very person you've been hoping to see?

I held the door open for Bella, then stepped inside after her. We walked toward Subway to get our food, Bella shyly stepping through the jubilant students.

I realized that Edward was seated at the table nearest the entrance we'd just passed through. With a jolt, I saw that he was glaring at me, visibly hating me with everything he had. The phrase "if looks could kill" seemed to apply in this instance, and I was glad it was figurative. If looks could kill, I would likely be a pile of ashes on the ground right now.

Once Bella had her food, she went to go sit with Angela Weber and Jessica Stanley. Since I wanted to take this flirting slowly, I went off to eat with my other friend, Sam Uley. Bella looked over at me and gave a small smile. I grinned in return and she ducked beneath her hair, bashful as ever.

I smiled and turned back to my food, eagerly anticipating the courtship to come.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 - Fight**

_(Edward's Point of View)_

I still saw Bella in the hallways and at lunch following the rejection, but gone was the former lighthearted friendliness that had existed between us. Now we barely talked; she didn't even say "hi" when she walked by me.

Just as I thought my life could not get any worse, I found solace in the humor of a new project I was assigned in Physics class. We were going to drop chocolate bunnies from atop a crane, after attaching various mechanisms to slow their descent. I had fun spinning ideas to keep the bunny safe – putting it into a diaper that had a smiley face drawn on it, attaching Easter balloons to it, wrapping it so thoroughly in bubble wrap that it would probably just bounce away after hitting the ground, et cetera. I was having fun without Bella for the first time in months and it gave me hope.

After Algebra II class the following day I was walking past the Kinnick Gym when Jacob brushed past me. I saw Bella by the tree, talking to Angela Weber. As Jacob walked by her his hand brushing against her backside. It seemed to linger there longer than it would have if the contact had been accidental, and I was outraged. How DARE that monster grope my Bella?! He deserved to be beaten to a pulp.

As Bella turned to see who had touched her, I stomped furiously toward Jacob, murderous. His cocky grin only stayed on his face for two seconds before it was slammed off his face by my furious punch. He stumbled back before shouting, "WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT FOR???"

"For groping Bella, you sick pervert! How DARE you treat her like that!"

"It was a freaking accident, you maniac! Maybe you wouldn't have overreacted if you had gotten over Bella already! You're a goddamn loser, Edward."

This pushed me past the breaking point. I tackled Jacob, kicking and punching every part of him I could get to. I heard screams around the courtyard and someone shouting that they were going to get the principal. I didn't care, however. I was reaping vicious pleasure in each sickening thump my limbs made as they struck Jacob.

The flaw in my plan was that Jacob was much stronger than I. He threw me off after only five more seconds of flailing on the ground and shoved me over a bench. As my head collided with the tree I saw Mr. Brown walking toward us. I blinked feebly for a few more seconds as hot, red blood trickled over my eyelids before I faded into unconsciousness.

--

I'm sorry it took me so long to update - my brother and dad don't do ANY chores around the house so I had to do tons of chores, plus homework, blah blah blah. I'll probably do Chapter 11 today, though. =D

Haha please review and tell me if you like/dislike the short chapters... maybe give advice on how to lengthen? Thankies! xD


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 - Convalescence**

_(Edward's Point of View)_

When I awoke, yet again, on a lumpy hospital bed, I had a brief surge of déjà vu before reminding myself that I was in here because of my fight with Jacob. My head's collision with that tree trunk must've hurt me worse than I'd thought, because I had no idea how long had passed (again) since I had arrived at the hospital.

This time, however, I had to call out before a nurse came over to see me. Her expression was indiscernible as she asked what I wanted.

"How long have I been here?"

"Oh, you've been in a coma for almost two weeks. You had a concussion from the blow to your head, not to mention lots of fractured bones."

I groaned. It seemed as if I had just gotten out of the hospital, only to be put back in. The only good part was that both instances were incited when I moved to protect my Bella.

This made me smile, which earned a confused expression from the nurse. She shook her head, then looked up as I continued, "Can I leave?"

"Tomorrow. Right now you need to get cleaned up, then we want to see if you can sleep normally before releasing you."

I nodded and complied as she began removing bandages and IVs and all sorts of medical equipment from me. Once it was all off and she had left the room, I got up off the bed, then steadied myself on a bedpost while my head rush subsided.

I stumbled into the bathroom and climbed into the shower. The hospital shampoo, despite being cheap and generic, was still soothing to my sore head.

Refreshed, I proceeded to finish with my personal hygiene and then changed into a fresh hospital gown. Once I found the TV remote, I turned it on to find that AFN News was already selected.

I was about to change the channel when I saw Bella. She was in the front of the Kinnick Orchestra, playing "Simple Gifts" in the Black History Month ceremony. I watched excitedly as the reporter expounded upon the layout of the newly regular event, looking forward to congratulating Bella in person.

My face fell as I saw that the time-stamp on the TV read February 26th; when I had gotten out of the shower I'd checked my watch, and it said that the date was March 9th. Bella was terrified of crowds! I should have been there to support her when she went in front of hundreds of people, but I wasn't because Jacob (sneers the name) just HAD to slam me into that tree. Asshole.

That reminded me - I had managed to beat Jacob up pretty well, too! Was he here? I certainly hoped he had worse injuries than I received, since that would give me some much-needed alone time with Bella.

With superb timing, the nurse walked back into my room to make sure I was alright. Before she could turn and walk out, I said, "Is Jacob Black here too?"

"Oh, him. Yeah, he was here when you were brought in, but he wasn't hurt badly enough to need any treatment," the nurse said.

"He looked really upset," she added feebly.

Oh, great. Jacob has been at school with Bella for the past week or so without me there to get in his way. It didn't even make a difference to me that he'd felt sorry for hurting me - as far as I was concerned, Jacob was beyond forgiveness.

Despite my resentment, hope made its way into my mind as I imagined that Bella might have rejected Jacob completely for being so improper with her. I allowed this newfound optimism to wash over me, comforting me with the faith that my Bella had made the right decision.

For the first time since Bella had rejected me, I fell asleep with a smile on my face.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 - Guilt**

_(Jacob's Point of View)_

I realized, too late, that I had pushed Edward way too hard. His head slammed into the tree trunk and blood began spilling across his face. I gasped with shock at what I had done, disgusted with myself for getting so carried away. Sure, I was pissed, but I sure as hell didn't want to KILL the guy!

I crumpled onto the ground, remorse flooding into me. I was so ashamed of myself that I just sat there on the ground, in the full view of the entire student body, whimpering and making choking noises.

The principle's angry voice snapped me out of my preoccupation.

"WHAT is going on here? Why is everyone screaming? What the…" he trailed off as he saw Edward's bloodstained body slumped over the bench.

I staggered upright and desperately shouted, "HELP!!! SOMEONE HELP HIM!!!"

My vision blurred and I felt my body hit the ground once more as I moaned, "Oh no… I'm so sorry… shit… I never meant this…"

I bolted upright as I heard the wailing of an approaching ambulance. I stared as the team carefully loaded Edward's body onto a stretcher, then followed them back to the vehicle. When they looked questioningly at me I simply said, "Worried." They nodded and closed the doors, the ambulance siren restarting and the van barreling toward Yokosuka Naval Hospital.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 - Fury**

_(Bella's Point of View)_

As Edward's body (corpse?) was removed from the courtyard, I clutched at the tree for support and began hyperventilating. My entire being was engulfed by the desolation of the thought that Edward, my best friend, whose heart I had broken, might be dead! I gasped and choked for air, not wanting to believe what I had just seen. My Edward was gravely injured, and the last thing I said to him was nothing. I'd been ignoring him for weeks, and now the poor guy might not live to hear how sorry I am.

My shallow breaths became faster and faster and my eyes rolled up into my head, my composure dissolved by my denial of this unacceptable reality. At last, my brain shut off from the overabundance of carbon dioxide and I passed into the sweet relief that was unconsciousness.

--

I opened my eyes to see sunlight streaming through the leaves of a small tree, which I recognized as one of the plants in the center of the circular benches in the Kinnick courtyard. The face of the school nurse suddenly obstructed the blinding light as she said, "Bella, honey, are you okay?"

"Edward… hurt… no…" I whined insensately.

"It's okay, honey. Everything's gonna be alright. He's at the hospital, getting taken care of."

This news only slightly diminished my severe agitation.

"Do you want to go back to class?" the nurse asked gently.

"No, thank you," my voice cracked.

"Alright then honey. I'll call your mom to pick you up."

I nodded and laid there for what seemed like hours before I heard Renée's worried voice approaching. I stood up and walked over to her and she drove me home.

I ascended the stairs straight away and flung myself onto my bed. I buried my face in a pillow and let out the wail I had been holding in. I punched my bed, screaming, "WHY? WHY? WHY???!!!"

With that, I cried myself to sleep.

--

I had nightmare after nightmare during my restless slumber. They were horrible, involving bloodstained Edwards and cackling Jacobs.

Each one showed the same thing. Jacob was the bad guy, the monster. I realized that Edward would have never gotten hurt if Jacob hadn't touched me, and even though Edward DID hit first, Jacob was the one who overreacted.

I snapped awake with a snarl of vengence. Jacob Black is the reason why my Edward was in the hospital, barely alive. Jacob Black caused all this, but I've been treating Edward like HE was the bad person, when all he's ever done is love me. I was disgusted with myself for having such convoluted priorities, for allowing that pig to flirt with me whilst my true ally was dejectedly suffering my neglect.

Fury erupted inside me, a remorseless hatred of Jacob Black engulfing my entire being. I resolved to make him wish he had never walked up to me that night, had never so much as moved to Yokosuka. He would pay for what he'd done, if I had anything to say about it. That evil excuse for a human being would find out tomorrow just how enraged Isabella Swan can get.


	14. Author's Note

**Author's Note**

Hi everyone,

I'm sorry for this not being a real chapter, but that's because I'm too mad at my teacher. He gave me Saturday detention (I have to come into school like it was a weekday) for reading a FanFiction during detention (other kids were reading stories, too, so it's unfair); admittedly, it was on my iPhone and the others were using real books, but still. I was reading. Does it really matter which medium I get the material through?

Anyway, all my teachers are pretty much being asses because we have Terra Nova tests, like my Algebra II teacher, who made fun of me in front of the whole laughing class, and my Orchestra teacher, who did nothing when a classmate screamed at me and started kicking me. Then there's the fact that some of my classmates have been making fun of me for reading Twilight and writing FanFiction because I'm a guy.

Yeah, well, once I'm back to whatever is normal for a TwiGuy I'll write more chapters. I already have the rest of the story outlined in my head so it won't be very difficult to get ideas, but it will be to work up the emotional strength to remove myself from my own troubles and try to write with the characters' emotions.

I'll post another chapter soon, I PROMISE.

Doug

* * *

PS. The FanFic in question was "Making Love Out Of Nothing At All" by ashel-13. It's AWESOME! =D


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 - Disappointment**

_(Jacob's Point of View)_

I sat in Mr. Brown's office; my head hung low with shame as I was sentenced. I completely agreed with the principal that I deserved to be punished. Maybe the protracted suffering would somehow alleviate my guilt.

Contrary to my predictions, my return to Kinnick was not greeted by a mix of anger from teachers and admiration from classmates. Rather, everybody avoided me. Disappointment radiated from every solemn figure as I walked out of the main office; disbelieving fear was a shroud over my relationships.

Mr. Brown wanted to expel me, but he couldn't until I had a disciplinary hearing. Until then, I was condemned to out-of-school suspension. I expected that the trial would end with my discharge from Kinnick, since the principal and most of the people there wanted nothing more to do with me.

Almost as if to prove my point, the lunch bell sounded and the students who passed me turned as they neared, avoiding me. This was far from the raucous greetings I usually received.

My walk home was not a thoughtful one, no; instead, I pathetically stumbled back to my house, feeling numb from the emotional roller coaster ride I had just gone through.

--

_(Bella's Point of View)_

As per my ridiculously bad luck, neither Edward nor Jacob was present at school the day after I took my vow to put Jacob in his place and to make amends with Edward.

Upon further inquiry, I discovered that Jacob had been suspended two weeks ago and Edward would be back at school tomorrow. Good. At least I could fulfill half of the oath.

Oh, when Jacob got back, he was IN for it. If that bastard [sorry Team Jacob] thought he could just wait out my fury, he was dead wrong. Unbeknownst to Jacob, every day in which I came to school, ready to verbally flog him, and he wasn't there, I just got more and more angry.

A small part of my mind, a tiny voice on a raft in the middle of my ocean of rage, whispered that maybe it had all been an accident. Perhaps Jacob had just gotten carried away. He might actually be sorry.

I told myself that I was angrier than ever at Jacob Black, but that little voice was slowly breaking down my resolve. More and more frequently I felt the willingness to give Jacob the benefit of the doubt, to let him explain. I was unsure as to whether it was weakness or compassion that drove these thoughts, and my internal conflict raged on as I slept for the last time before seeing Edward again.

Doug McDonald · March 13, 2009 · email: .com


	16. Chapter 15

Alright, this chapter has a huge plot swing. Instead of continuing to write completely normal stuff, it intros supernatural stuff.

Should I keep it or rewrite?

* * *

**Chapter 15 - Loss**

_(Jacob's Point of View)_

I woke up feeling dead, as had become the norm since the incident with Edward. I was not at all relieved when I won the hearing, probably because I knew I deserved to be expelled.

The hot water of my shower scalded my skin, but I didn't care. It helped me to at least feel something, anything. I hadn't resorted to cutting myself, no, I wasn't that messed up; but I still took every opportunity to cause myself physical pain. I would sometimes trip on purpose, or bang my hip into a door. I even ate the most fattening food I could find, when I did eat, that is; I suppose it was my own slow form of suicide.

The walk to school was its usual waste of time. This infernal institution couldn't even bother to send buses to pick kids up who lived on the entirely opposite side of the base, which was, at best, a forty-five minute walk away from Kinnick. I deplored walking because it gave me too much time to think; its dreadful monotony mocking me with every soft, continuous jarring of my shell of a body.

Nobody looked when I stepped into the courtyard. All that could be said about me had been, every tear that was been shed was dry. My reputation had faded into nothingness following the traumatic catharsis of the fight, and its aftermath. Nobody cared anymore, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

I was proven dead wrong, probably because the Universe loves torturing me. As I turned to walk to class, a girl walked through a hole in the hedge and instantly stopped dead. I blinked through the haze in my vision, brought on by my self-imposed dehydration. I finally recognized her as none other than Bella, but my breath caught when I saw her face.

A look of pure fury, more intense than any I had ever witnessed, had taken over her features. The violence of her expression left me terrified, as I was sure the Universe had a doozy in store for me today. [Jacob is now a bitter and pessimistic shell of his former self, people.]

She slowly raised her hand and pointed her finger at me.

"You," she sneered in a deadly whisper.

"YOU!!!" she suddenly roared, making all heads in the vicinity whip around to gape at her.

"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!!! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT EDWARD IS IN THE HOSPITAL!!! HOW _DARE_ YOU SHOW YOUR FACE HERE!!! YOU INSOLENT LITTLE PRICK!!!"

She spluttered off into incoherency, her face reddening with rage.

"B-Bella," I stuttered, "I'm really sorry about that! I wish I could just take it all back. In fact, I've been miserable over the past few weeks, but I know I deserve it! Please, Bella, forgive me."

"HOW can I forgive you! It's YOUR FAULT Edward is in the hospital, almost DEAD!!! And you THINK you're SORRY??? Oh, you're not sorry enough."

_(Bella's Point of View)_

All thoughts of Jacob's innocence had been burned away from my mind. Seeing his face made me angrier than I had ever been in my life. As he stood there, trying to apologize, I became more and more enraged. There was nothing he could ever do to make this up, to make everything okay. Edward, in the hospital and nearly dead. Jacob, safe and fine at home, not even having to go to school. The injustice of it, the tragedy, overwhelmed my self-control. For the first time in my life, I wanted to kill.

_(Jasper's Point of View)_

Bella began to shake violently. As I stood there, watching, horrorstruck, I could swear I could feel her tremors. Then, with ever-growing shock, I realized that I was not imagining anything. The ground was shaking. But this wasn't an earthquake; no, the ground was shaking in time with Bella…

_(Bella's Point of View)_

I felt something deep inside me awaken, something that had been dormant for years. A part of me that I never knew existed or was even possible. As I felt my control snap, I felt myself mentally reaching into the earth…

_(Jacob's Point of View)_

The ground shook more and more violently as Bella's rage spun out of control. She roared, then began to rise into the air. I could not believe this was happening. But it was. Bella was floating in midair and she was causing an earthquake.

Bella's head lifted skyward, her arms outstretched. Two nearby trees removed themselves from the ground and shot into the air, then remained motionless twenty feet high. Her fingers rolled up into fists, and the trees were crushed, leaves and pieces of bark falling away. She jerked her arms, and the two crushed saplings slammed into the wall of the gym, pelting everything around them with debris.

Then, as if I were in the midst of a terrible nightmare, the monster named Bella looked down at me, snarling. Her eyes were glowing white, waves of power seeming to emanate from her. As I was conceding my imminent demise, a person whom I had not seen in what seemed like centuries bounded past me. It was the last thing I knew before everything went dark as I passed out.

…

_(Edward's Point of View)_

I had been trudging back to Kinnick, returning after so many weeks spent in the hospital, when I turned the corner and saw her. Bella was floating in midair, and her outstretched hands somehow made me realize that it was she that was causing the earthquake I had disregarded.

My stomach felt hollow with fear as I watched her crush two trees, realizing just how powerful this Bella was, just how much she was unlike the sweet, delicate girl I had known.

I was jolted back to reality when Bella rounded on Jacob, her face spelling death for any she wished to kill. I began running toward her, frantic in my haste to save Bella from herself.

I called Bella's name, but when it didn't work I reached out and took her hand. I pulled her downward, and her face turn to look at mine. Bella's anger melted as she saw that it was I trying to stop her, and her eyelids rolled shut. The earthquake stopped, and Bella fell into my arms.

Still hyperventilating, I held her close to my body, trying to communicate all my love for her in that embrace. Bella's eyes fluttered open and looked at mine, then a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I am so sorry…" she whispered feebly.

"It's okay," I comforted softly. "Everything's alright, Bella."

"No, it's not all right," she protested, "I broke your heart."

"It wasn't your fault you didn't love me back. That happens sometimes…" I trailed off.

"But I do," she said.

Before I could say a word, Bella craned her neck upward and softly kissed my lips. After two stunned seconds, I kissed her back.

Then, deciding I'd had enough of this place already, I straightened my posture and proceeded to carry Bella like a baby, all the way back to her house, so she could be safe once more.


	17. Chapter 16

A/N: Sorry about the long break from writing. I just recently found out that I have to move to the other side of the planet in six weeks, and I've been doing lots of preparation. I know it's not much of an excuse -- I should've fallen back onto my creative outlet -- but at least I've resumed the story.

Speaking of the story, Bella isn't like some Fantastic Four person or whatever, but you're going to find out more soon. *Wink wink* :D

---

**Chapter 16 - Indulgence**

_(Edward's Point of View)_

I ended up setting Bella down halfway to her house, after she asked. She probably thought I acquiesced because I was thoroughly whipped, but it was really because she wasn't as light as she looked.

When we got to her house, Bella trudged through the doorway sleepily, flipping on light switches as she went. I followed her in and closed the door, but by the time I'd turned around Bella had already slumped onto the couch and fallen asleep.

Deciding not to bother her after such a trying morning, I instead busied myself with locating the proper ingredients for macaroni and cheese. She probably needed some serious comfort food after throwing two trees.

The unfamiliar kitchen intimidated me with its foreign complexity. It took twenty minutes of rummaging through cabinets and searching through her refrigerator to assemble the necessary materials: butter, milk, a pot, and measuring tools. I decided to include sliced hot dog on a whim, figuring she could use the extra protein, so I also got one out in addition to a knife and cutting board.

Cooking, like walking and swimming and tennis, was one of those things that one could do easily without thinking. The blissful monotony of stirring and cutting contrasted sharply with the previous hour's terrified hysteria, and I was inwardly grateful for the time to relax.

I tilted the pot until its contents were emptied into the strainer, and then did the same to restore the noodles and hot dog pieces to the pot. As I began stirring the already-prepared sauce in, I heard Bella rise from the couch in the living room.

Footsteps preceded her entrance into the room, and I saw her blink drearily and yawn before she spoke.

"Wucha doin'?" she said groggily.

"Making you lunch." I grinned.

She smiled blearily and rubbed her eyes. "Thanks Ed."

"Anytime," I said breezily.

I angled the pot on the stovetop so the macaroni and cheese began falling into the bowl I'd positioned under it. After all the remaining food was gone from the pot, I handed the bowl to Bella and motioned for her to begin eating. She took an eager bite as I began washing the dishes I'd used.

I'd just put away the knife that had been used to slice the hot dog when Bella began washing her bowl. "You don't have to do that," I chided softly.

"I want to help, though," she pouted. I stepped closer to her and put my hand on her arm.

"I don't mind doing it myself," I insisted.

Bella smiled and stepped back. "Alright, but I do dishes next time."

"Next time?" I inquired hopefully.

"Yeah," she said playfully, "Now that you're my boyfriend and all, we're gonna eat together all the time, right?"

The bowl was forgotten as I scooped her up into a bear hug.

"Definitely," I said, grinning.

---

_(Bella's Point of View)_

I napped on the couch as Edward slumbered peacefully on the recliner. The temptation to get up and join him was strong, but I was worried it would make me seem overly hormonal.

A hand caressing my back woke me, and I noticed apathetically that the sun was still particularly bright outside. My eyes seemed to close of their own accord as I leaned into the backrub, wishing I could stay this way forever.

"Bella," Edward called softly. "We have to go. Your parents will be home soon and I doubt they wouldn't jump to conclusions if they found you alone with a teenage boy."

I groaned a Level 10 whine, one of my best. "Whyyyyyy…" I moaned.

I could hear the smile in his voice as Edward said, "It'll be okay, we just have to go to the library for a bit. Come on, let's go."

"Fine," I pouted. I sat up dejectedly and was hugged once again.

"Okay, that definitely helps," I giggled.

With a sudden tipping of the couch, Edward lifted me into the air and planted me down on my feet before leaning in for a chaste kiss. I wanted to deepen it, but he was right. Police Chief Swan, AKA Dad, should not be allowed to see me alone with a boy, let alone one as attractive as Edward, when he had a gun handy.

The bright light of the waning afternoon left spots in my eyes as I trod down Gridley Lane, toward the sure-to-be-blissfully air conditioned library. My hand swung slightly as Edward tried to match my pace, then became stationary above the sidewalk as he fell in perfect step. Huh. I guess all that ROTC training really did pay off.

As I walked through the double-doors toward the shelves and shelves of books, I instantly wished I had just stayed home. Every single person in the vicinity was staring shamelessly at me, looking as if they were seeing a ghost. One small girl even dropped the books she was holding, and she barely flinched as they struck her feet.

I felt rage flaming up inside me for the second time that day. What did they think I was? A freak? What in God's name made them think another human being deserved to feel as alienated and mortified as I was feeling at that instant?

I wanted more than anything to stop being stared at. I didn't want these… "people" (mentally spits the word)… glaring at me any longer. It must stop, it had to end NOW.

---

_(Edward's Point of View)_

After Bella walked through the door I had held open, I saw her stop dead. Everybody in the library was gaping at her.

I saw her fists clench and her muscles constrict. Scared, I hurried forward and tried to pull her back onto the sidewalk.

My attempt failed, however, but I didn't register why it had at first. Then, with a fresh wave of shock, I realized Bella was gone. Just, gone.

Every eye then turned to look quizzically at me, and I raised my hands to twist them through my hair. Bella was gone! Those same abilities that had just ripped apart the courtyard had killed her.

My knees were about to give out from misery when I felt a hand on my shoulder. Could it be? The appendage felt like Bella's hand, but when I turned to look I saw nothing.

Then I heard her.

"Edward, I'm right here," Bella's voice whispered, "Meet me outside."

Almost shouting with relief, I stumbled out onto the sidewalk, looking around to see where Bella could be.

She materialized right in front of me, and I jumped back a step, surprised. She was grinning proudly, and she held up her hand for me to high-five.

"What was that?" I gasped.

"I don't know how I did it, but I turned invisible! That was so cool!" she chirped merrily.

"Oh, yeah, so cool," I sneered, "BELLA, you almost gave me a stroke!!!"

Her smile turned apologetic before she held out her arms for a hug. Cheater. She knew that always melted my anger.

In defeat, I stepped forward to embrace her. I playfully shook her around before saying, confused, "Where should we go now?"

"I don't know. Uh… how about Berkley Field? We could just sit there and… uh… hang out," she suggested slyly.

Grinning, I agreed, taking her hand and leading Bella down the street and toward the seaside meadow. This day might just turn out well after all.


	18. Author's Note 2

**Another Author's Note**

I've written a one-shot smutfic for my female friends (they asked), that you might want to read if you like that kind of stuff. xD

It's called "Oracular Smuttacular" and here is a link: .net/s/5007509/1/

Enjoy! :D


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